Wisconsin Badgers
Fighting Illini Challenge and Combined Events
Five things to know: Badgers travel for a pair of away meets this weekend
January 21, 2026 | Women's Track & Field
Wisconsin looks to build momentum at meets in Illinois and Pennsylvania
MADISON, Wis. - The Wisconsin women's track and field team will have two meets coming up, the Fighting Illini Challenge in Champaign, Ill., hosted by University of Illinois and the Penn Elite in Philadelphia, Pa., hosted by the University of Pennsylvania.Â
Action for the UW women at the Figting Illini Challenge begins at noon on Friday, Feb. 23 as Shaina Zinter and Kyla Saleh are set to compete in the pentathlon. The rest of the Badger contingent will begin competition on Saturday starting at 10 a.m. CT. The tentative schedule for this meet can be found here and the live results here.Â
The Penn Elite meet is scheduled to start at 10:00 a.m. CT with field events on Saturday, Jan. 24. The schedule can be found here and meet information is located here.Â
1. CLIMBING THE LEADERBOARD: Junior Elissa Perkins delivered a breakthrough performance in Indiana over the weekend, soaring to a mark of 41-1 (12.52m) to set a new personal best. Previously ranked ninth in the Badger record books, Perkin's impressive jump advanced her to fourth on the program's all time indoor list. She's set to continue her momentum with a trip to Philadelphia this weekend.
2. NEW TERRITORY: Now in its second year, the Penn Elite will feature Wisconsin for the first time, giving the Badgers a fresh stage to build on their early‑season progress. The trip to Philadelphia adds a new stop to Wisconsin's schedule. The meet takes place inside the Ott Center for Track and Field, a facility completed in 2024 that has quickly elevated Penn's ability to host high‑level indoor events.
3. CHASING SPEED: The Wisconsin distance medley relay opened its season in dominant fashion, racing to a commanding victory. Bella Jacobsen set the tone on the opening leg before handing off to Eva Kuehn, with Zaira Malloy‑Salgado carrying the momentum through the third segment. Leane Willemse closed things out on the final stretch, sealing the victory in 11:50.91.
4. FOLLOW ALONG: For Friday-Saturday's meet in Champaign, Ill. and Saturday's Penn Elite meet in Philadelphia, Pa. fans can keep up with the action and follow along on social media through @BadgerTrackXC pages on X and Instagram. The Fighting Illini Challenge can be watched with a subscription here.
5. UP NEXT: The Badgers will finish the January stretch attending the Meyo Invite at Notre Dame in Indiana on Jan. 30 and Jan. 31.
Players Mentioned
